As the Hawks’ men’s baseball team enters the 2016 season, they will enter with an experienced, competitive roster focused on achieving one specific goal.

Head coach Tony Bloomfield and his coaching staff will welcome back 10 returning players to provide veteran experience and strong communication to help try and propel the team to the playoffs and a state championship.

“I want my guys to be accountable, to do things that are in a timely manner, and more importantly I want to be able to communicate verbally not through text and give effort, we want our kids to be individual people to get the job,” Bloomfield said.

Coming off a season in which the team suffered a heartbreaking loss at state, the players are ready and motivated for a comeback season.

“We want to go to state, that’s what we have been practicing all year for, that’s what we have been aiming for since fall,” said sophomore center field Devin Pettengill.

With regularly scheduled practices on the field, the team is exercising some takeaways from last year as a keys to success this season.

“It comes down to timely hitting you know you have to get the big hits when you need to get the big hits,” Bloomfield said.

Along with high expectations for the new season, the team hopes playing their best will give them a good chance to make it to the end.

“We understand situations, we know what college baseball is like but working together as a team and giving everyday our best, even at practices, I really think can take us where we want to go, to the state championship,” said sophomore pitcher Cameron Keup.

Looking ahead to the 2016 season, Coach Bloomfield is excited to work with new kids and several returning players.

“We got some good returning players, the competitive Big 8, and it’s good to get the uniforms on, I think we got a good group of guys,” Bloomfield said.

One of those returning players is sophomore shortstop Andre Gregory, who is coming off a strong season and has set high expectations for himself this season.

“We want a winning record, to play our hardest and I’m excited to see how we grown as a team and get better every day,” Gregory said.

Coach Bloomfield is also excited to coach his son, freshman second baseman Brett Bloomfield, for the first time in his coaching career.

“My own boy is here, this is the first time I get to coach my own son, he was at University of Oregon last year and he came back from there,” Bloomfield said.

The Hawks understand baseball is a “game of adversity”, and Coach Bloomfield said he recognizes a big key to a successful season is having a short-memory and gaining momentum.

“It’s a short-term memory sport, it’s a game of momentum and we’re trying to keep the momentum on our side,” Bloomfield said.